BACKGROUND: c-erbB-1 (epidermal growth factor receptor) and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein have common tyrosine kinase activities, and alteration in their expression has been defined in various visceral tumors. However, relatively little is known about their expression in skin tumors. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the distribution and expression pattern of c-erbB-1 and c-erbB-2 in skin neoplasms. METHODS: We have undertaken an immunohistochemical survey of c-erbB-1 and c-erbB-2 in the tissue specimens of keratoacanthoma (KA), actinic keratosis (AK), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). RESULTS: Membranous c-erbB-1 expression had a tendency to be down-regulated in some specimens of SCC and dysplastic portions of AK. In invasive lesions of SCC, we observed increased cytoplasmic accumulation of c-erbB-1. Most specimens of BCC showed rather decreased expression of c-erbB-1 compared with other skin tumors. c-erbB-2 oncoprotein showed strong cytoplasmic staining in SCC, especially in the invasive tumor mass, and in some deeply dysplastic or hyperplastic portions of AK, though the difference of intensity was not striking between tumors. BCC revealed relatively weaker expression of c-erbB-2 than other skin tumors, which was similar in pattern to c-erbB-1. CONCLUSION: The expression patterns of c-erbB-1 and c-erbB-2 are altered in various skin neoplasms, and seem to be related to the dysplastic status or differentiation level of tumor cells.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cytoplasm ; Keratoacanthoma ; Keratosis, Actinic ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Skin Neoplasms ; Skin* ; Strikes, Employee

Terbinafine is now widely used for the treatment of dermatophytic infections of the skin and nails. Cutaneous side effects of terbinafine are rare and mild. They includes erythema, pruritus, urticaria, desqumation, and macular exanthem. In addition, fixed drug eruption, erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and erythema annulare centrifugum-like psoriatic drug eruption were recently described in the literatures. Herein, we reported a case of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis induced by terbinafine.
Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis* ; Drug Eruptions ; Erythema ; Erythema Multiforme ; Exanthema ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome ; Urticaria

Acrokeratoelastoidosis of Costa is a rare palmoplantar keratoderma with autosomal dominant inheritance. It is clinically charaeterized by small, firm, yellowish, shiny, translucent papules occumng over the dorsal hands, the knuckles, and the lateral margine of the palms and soles. Histologically, the characteristic features are hyperkeratosis, aeanthosis, and most strikingly, fragmentation of coarse elastic fibers within the dermis. The lesions usually begin in early childhood and progress slowly. We herein report two familial cases of acrokeratoelastoidosis of Costa showing typical clinic1 and histopathological features.
Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Hand ; Keratoderma, Palmoplantar ; Wills*

Subepidermal calcified nodule, a form of idiopathic calcinosis cutis, typically present as a hard, 3 to 11 mm, solitary lesion on the exposed area of the head and the extremities. Here we re-port an unusual case of subepidermal calcified nodule occurring on the buttock. A 15-year-old girl presented with a 6-month history of a 12 × 6 mm, oval, hard, erythematous nodule on the right buttock. Histopathologic examination of an excision biopsy specimen revealed extensive deposition of calcium in the whole dermis as large multilobulated masses.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Buttocks* ; Calcinosis ; Calcium ; Dermis ; Extremities ; Female ; Head ; Humans

Necrotizing fasciitis, first described by Wilson in 1952, is one of the most dramatic infectious diseases which develops at the level of superficial fascia and involves the overlying dermis. Clinical diagnosis is often initially confused with cellulitis, and delay in the diagnosis and treatment is associated with high mortality in the range from 30% to 70%. Early diagnosis and prompt excision of all devitalized tissue are critical because any remaining necrotic tissue will continue the rapidly progressive infectious process. We, herein, report a 64-year-old man who was presented with a typical clinical course of necrotizing fasciitis.
Cellulitis ; Communicable Diseases ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Fasciitis, Necrotizing* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Subcutaneous Tissue

Tegafur is a fluoropyrimidine structurally similar to 5-fluorouracil, used in the treatment of advanced gastrointestinal neoplasms. Mucocutaneous side reactions induced by this agent are rare and include photosensitivity of lichenoid and eczematous types, acral erythema, hyperpigmentation and palmoplantar keratoderma. However, to our knowledge, there has been no report of concurrent development of eruptions of two types in a patient. We describe a female patient with breast cancer, presented with combined features of acral erythema and hyperpigmentation due to oral tegafur.
Breast Neoplasms ; Erythema* ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation* ; Keratoderma, Palmoplantar ; Tegafur*

Anetoderma is loose and wrinkled skin lesions that show the characteristic histopathological feature of focal loss of elastic fibers in the dermis. The primary type of anetoderma arises in clinically normal skin and the secondary type replaces the lesions of associated disorders including various infections, infiammatory diseases and tumors. However, anetoderma due to pilomatricoma is very rare. Our patient, a 21-year-old female, presented with a soft and wrinkled skin overlying a firm, pedunculated tumor on her left upper arm. The histopathological examination showed anetodermic cutaneous changes which were associated with the underlying pilomatricoma.
Anetoderma* ; Arm ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Female ; Humans ; Pilomatrixoma* ; Skin ; Young Adult

Coumarin-induced skin necrosis is a rare complication of oral administration of coumarin derivatives. Clinically, the lesions begin with well-defined purpuric patches and progress to bullae and necrosis on the trunk, buttock or female breast. Histopathologic findings show a fibrinoid degeneration or thrombus formation in the dermal blood vessels with occasional vessel rupture and hemorrhage. We report a 77-year-old man who suffered from a typical necrotic patch on his right buttock developing during the course of coumarin therapy. Our case was diagnosed as coumarin-induced skin necrosis, based on the characteristic clinical course and histopathologic findings.
Administration, Oral ; Aged ; Blood Vessels ; Breast ; Buttocks ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Necrosis* ; Rupture ; Skin* ; Thrombosis

We describe a case of cutaneous metastatic carcinoma with an unusual manifestation in a patient with lung cancer. A 71-year-old woman with adenocarcinoma of the lung presented with multiple grouped erythematous or light brown colored papules and nodules which had developed on the right lateral lower chest and upper abdomen along T6 dermatome for 4 months. Histopathological examination of a nodular lesion revealed moderately differentiated or well-formed, mucin-secreting glandular structures in the dermis, which were typical of cutaneous metastatic adenocarcinoma. This case represent an unusual case of zosteriform cutaneous metastatic adenocarcinoma.
Abdomen ; Adenocarcinoma ; Aged ; Dermis ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Thorax

Linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering disease characterized on direct immunofluorescence of perilesional skin by the linear deposition of IgA at the basement membrane zone. The pathogenesis of LABD is not known, but rar ely some cases of LABD have been reported in association with drug exposure. We report a case of drug-induced LABD showing linear deposits of IgA and IgG at the basement membrane zone on direct immunofluorescence of perilesional skin as well as typical clinical and histologic characteristics, although the causative agent could not be specified.
Basement Membrane ; Blister ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Linear IgA Bullous Dermatosis* ; Skin